I last saw Dr. Lowe for treatment a few years ago, and it still stands out as one of the most all-around awful healthcare experiences I've ever been through.
Long story short, I'd been a patient of hers for about a year prior. Nothing great, nothing horrid. Dr. Lowe advised me that I needed a crown and four fillings. First visit, she scooped out the problem molar and fitted a temporary crown. No problems there.
I made the decision to get all four fillings Dr. Lowe stated I needed, done at once, on the next visit. First sign of trouble: I asked not to be Novocained, which is my usual for getting fillings done. (It may sound weird, but I find local anesthetic more uncomfortable than getting teeth drilled without Novocaine. Never had a problem so far.) Dr. Lowe didn't like that at all. Her comment was "look, I've been doing this for 20 years, I know what I'm recommending here." That was probably actually a good recommendation, because she went to work on me with the finesse of a jackhammer operator. Very, very rough - my jaws were hurting afterward even with the local anesthetic. No breaks - when I asked to sit up for a moment (I've got a bit of a bad back), Dr. Lowe told me that she had other patients stacked up waiting and that a break would throw her off schedule. Meanwhile, while she had my mouth full of instruments, I got to listen to an uninterrupted conversation between her and her assistant about her ex-boyfriends, the pets they left behind for her kids (who weren't properly caring for them), her Air Force career aspirations, and snide remarks about the professionalism of other dentists (unbelievable considering, I know). Worse, when she deigned to speak to me, she kept addressing me my ex-spouse's name (the ex was also a patient and the breakup was recent). FOR THREE HOURS. Couldn't correct her - no breaks, remember? She had other patients waiting! I know that sounds unbelievable, but so help me, it actually went down that way.
Needless to say, at this point I was wishing mightily that I never had to see this godawful, unprofessional, barely competent woman again. Unfortunately, I still had to get the permanent crown fitted. When her assistant asked me "how are you doing?", my answer was, "Looking forward to getting this done." That was also an ordeal - Dr. Lowe practically had to do a handstand on my jaw to get the crown into the tooth. It took at least a month for the crown to "settle" and stop being cold-sensitive.
As a postscript, Dr. Lowe had advised me that I would need a second crown. Needless to say, I did NOT let her do that one. However, when I later visited a different dentist (Dr. Terrie Tran at All Smiles Dental), I learned that that tooth could be fixed with a simple filling. Not surprising that Dr. Lowe's diagnostic skills were no better than her drill work or her chairside manner.
Dr. Lowe is, from my experience, only marginally competent, easily the most unprofessional "professional" I have ever encountered, and a loathsome, nasty person to boot. Avoid her at all costs. read more